The present invention relates to a display device with rearrangeable characters, such as a price display at sales points, or other displays, where a quick and simple change of the characters is desirable. A change of the display may be readily performed without the need for any loose signs, writing utensils or the like.
Such displays have become increasingly popular, especially as digital figures and letters are commonly used. The figures and letters are created on the basis of a number of basic elements which are activated individually and which together form the individual character.
The use of digital figures is commonly known from displays in, for example, CPUs, telephones and digital watches, where the individual figure section contains seven elements which may be activated electronically so as to form a combination showing a figure in the range of 0 to 9. A corresponding display of letters is also possible, but requires a slightly larger number of basic elements to be able to display any letter in the alphabet.
When using displays which are not electronically controlled, such as price displays at sales points, it may be advantageous to use digital displays which by means of elements built into or embedded in the display can create any desired character through manual activation of each individual element. of this type are known e.g. from U.S. Pat. No. 3,740,878, in which the individual character is created by means of a number of small squares in contrasting colors. The squares pivot on vertical shafts and form together a rectangular surface. The displaying of characters is effected by rotating squares of identical contrasting color into horizontal and vertical directions in the rectangle so as to form edged characters, preferably figures. The front plate of the display with the rectangles and the rotatable squares may after adjustment into the desired signs be locked to a rear plate so as to prevent further rotation of the squares. However, the display device according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,740,878 is not suitable for displaying digital characters, and it is not particular suitable for indoor price displaying, where the price displays should be relatively small and easy to read.
Another display, which is also primarily intended for outdoor use and therefore also of a relatively large and complex structure, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,084. The characters of this display are constituted by elements, which may be rotated on center axes and which after the rotation into the desired character may be locked in this position by means of special locking plates with recesses. The locking plates may be bolted to a rear plate. The rotation and the locking of the desired signs is thus complicated, and although in principle the display shows digital characters, these characters suffer from the obvious drawback that the individual elements do not abut against each other at their respective ends. As a result, this display is not suitable as a small-scale price display, e.g. for indoor use in retail shops.
In another known device, a sign containing a number of characters each consisting of seven basic elements is provided in which each segment has the shape of a flat stick. The individual elements at either end are tapering and secured to the substrate of the character by means of a pivot. The front surface of the element in its resting position is substantially in plane with the substrate. One flat side of the element has the same color as the substrate, and the other flat side of the element is provided with a contrasting color. When an element is to be activated so as to form part of a figure, the rod is rotated manually about its longitudinal axis so that the side of the element with the contrasting color appears, and in this way each individual element is activated so as to form a combination of elements showing the desired figure. A deletion of the figure is effected by displaying the side of the element having the same color as the substrate.
A considerable drawback of the latter sign is that the tapering shape of the end of each element in connection with the pivotable securing of the rod to the substrate, do not allow a complete abutment of the elements at their oblique ends when displaying a figure. Consequently, an undesirable gap revealing part of the surface of the plate occurs, and therefore the character or number does not appear as an entity. Another drawback is that it is difficult to combine a self-locking device with the ball coupling between an element and a substrate at each rod end. Such self-locking device should prevent the individual element from being inadvertently rotated which would result in an error on the display.